Washing-machine



' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. ERBOR. WASHING MACHINE.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. ERROR.

WASHING MACHINE.' No. 519,303. Patented May 1, 1894.

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ANDREW Eason, or ooPLAY, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part lof Letters Patent No. 519,303,'dated May 1,1894. Application led November 22, 1893. Serial No. 491,653. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, ANDREW Eason, of Coplay,in the county of Lehigh andState of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Improvement inWashihgMachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription,

My invention relates to an improvementin washing machines, of a typehaving a rotary clothes agitator operated within a stationary suds boxthat is provided with stationary rubbers; and has for its objects toprovide a novel and superior mechanism for the reversible rotation ofthe agitator head, a removable rubber frame for the suds box, anda novelfolding tub rest for the machine.

To these ends my invention consists in the peculiar construction andcombination of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorrespondingparts in all the gures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side view on the line 1--1 in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 isa plan view of the improved machine in the preferred form.

Fig. 2a is a sectional side view of a modilied form of details ofconstruction shown in Figs.

1 and 2. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the suds box, its lid in part in openadjustment, and other parts loosely secured by the lid.` Fig. t is atransverse sectional view on the line l-4t in Fig. 2. Fig..5 is alongitudinal sectional View, showing a modified form of the actuatinggearing; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged detached view of a portion of thegearing shown in Fig. 5.

The suds box A, is preferably given an elongated rectangular shape,having dimensions suited to `the desired lcapacity for the machine, theparts being secured together water-tight by bolts a, or other means; andlegs b are provided to support it. Y

Within the box A a rubber-frame is loosely` iitted, comprising a topboardc and abottom board d, each provided with side strips e. The topand bottom boards are each formed of two pieces secured to the ends ofthe side strips e and. having their inner edges curved, as shown mostclearly in Fig. 3. `The rubber strips g, are preferably rounded on theirinner surfaces from end to end, and are secured by said ends upon theside strips e, between the inner edges of the parts of the top andbottom boards.V At a proper distance from the incurved edges mentioned,a series of vertical spaced rubber bars h are secured by their endstothe top and bottom boards c, d, thereby providing transverse rubbingsurfaces near each end of the removable frame, and as shown in Figs. 1and 3, a water space is produced at each side and at the ends of saidframe, between it and the inner surface of the suds box A. By making theframe removable the suds box may be readily cleansed.

The lid A of the suds box is hinged by one end to an end wall of thebox, as indicated at 'i in Figs. l, 2 and 3, its opposite end extendingtoward the other end wall of the suds box, so that a dependingledge 7c,that is transversely secured upon the normally lower side of the lid,will rest on the top board and seal the aperture in it when the lid isclosed and held in that position' by the turn buttons m, which areoppositely pivoted upon the top edges of the side walls of the box A.The lid A', is perforated at its transverse center, and

a proper distance from each end, to receive and loosely support theagitator head n',

which is centrally apertured in a manner that will adapt it to slidelongitudinally of the shaft and be caused to rotate with it, see Fig. 3;a sufficient length being afforded to the shaft portion engaged by thehead, to permit the latter to hang near the vertical center of the sndsbox when free to do so, its removal from the shaft being prevented byshoulders formed on its lower end, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. y

\ The preferred form of the mechanism provided to alternately rotate thehead shaft n and head n together in opposite directions, comprises ahorizontal drive shaft o, that is supported to revolve above the axis ofthe head shaft by its loose engagement with the upright bracket frameso', that are secured IOO of the suds box for the reception of a crankhandle o2, that is attached thereto.

On the shaft o, two disk-like wheels p, are affixed at an equal distancefrom the center of the shaft fn, and on said wheels there is a curvedfriction gear segment p', formed on or secured to each one. on its innerface, coincident with the curved edge of the wheel. The friction gearsegments p', are semi-circular, and are located at opposite points withregard to the positions of the Wheels on the shaft they are afxed upon.Each gear segment p', is faced with leather, gum fabric, or othersuitable material that is firmly secured thereto, and as indicated inFigs. 2 and 4 they are bevel pitched an equal degree.

On the upperportion ofthe shaft n, abevelfaced drive pinion r, ismounted and secured so as to be rotated by the shaft,a key, shown inFig. l, affording means to connect theY will permit its face to bealternately engaged with the beveled segments p when the pinion isadjusted to effect this. Preferably the friction gear pinion r, issupported on a carrier bar r', which is perforated at its center oflength and width to loosely receive the true cylindrical hub of thepinion, the end portions of the carrier bar being engaged on the lowerside by the similar rock shafts u, which are bent to project as cranksnear their longitudinal centers, the journal ends of the same having aloose engagement with bracket boxes that project from the top surface ofthe suds box lid A.

Each rock shaft rais furnished with an arm a at one end, which affordsmeans for the` rocking movement of the shafts by their manipulation, andit will be seen that by a rocking adjustment of the shafts u the pinionr may be pressed toward the gear segments p with graduated force, andthus assure the semi-rotation of the shaft n in opposite directions asthe drive shaft o, is rotated. The upper end of the shaft n is supportedby the perforated arched brace q. The carrier bar fr', may also besupported by the screws r2, that engage their lower ends with the sleevenuts r3, which are secured in the lid A', a collar r4 on each screw boltaffording a seat for the bar, as shown in Fig. 2*.

On the pinion r, two studs s, are erected, which are placed along theinner edge of the bevel face of said pinion, and separated a properdistance to receive the impinge of two studs t, that are projected onefrom the inner face of each bevel gear segment p near one terminal ofthe same, the location of the studs being at opposite ends of thesegments.

Between one upright bracket frame o and an adjacent friction gear wheelp, the ratchet cut pinion p3 is secured to the shaft o, or it may beformed integral with said gear wheel, its location permitting the springpawl p4 to engage the teeth of the pinion, and thus restrict therotation of theshaft 0 to the direction indicated by an arrow in Figs.1,2 and 4.

It will be seen that when the drive shaft 0 is revolved by amanipulation of the crank handleo?, and semi-rotary motion iscommunicated to the vertical shaft 'n alternately in oppositedirections, by the successive engagement of the gear segments p with thebevel pinion fr', the studs twill alternately have contact with thestuds s, the stud on one segmental gear wheel striking one of the studson the pinion on its outer side, the stud on the other wheel in a likemanner impinging the other vertical stud on the pinion r.

The provision of the isolated studs that have been described, is ofgreat service in effecting a positive reversal of rotary movement, asthe momentum of the mass of clothing or other goods, that is beingwashed in the machine and that is engaged by the proj ecting pins n2,which are parts of the agitator head n', will cause a slip of thegearing at the point of reverse movement, unless aided by the positiveaction of the stud-like teeth t and s, which serve to transmit motionlong enough to insure a complete contact of the friction gearing in eachdirection of rotary motion.

-In Figs. 5 and 6 the curved bevel gear segments o are toothed, and thepinion r', is also furnished with teeth, so that a meshed engagement ofthe segment wheels p may be had with the pinion in lieu of africtionalcontact as is effected by the gears p and r, the studs tand s, beingprovided for the toothed gearing also, to produce a reliable reversal of-movement of the shaft fn. and agitator head 'n'. The'studs t and s, maybe covered with leather or rubber, as shown at f2s in Fig. 6, and thusabsorb the shock of sudden contact had between these parts in service. Y

The tub rest B, consists of a light, strong slatted rectangular frame,that is hinged to the end of the suds box toward which the crank handle02 is revolved, the hinges w being so connected to the frame and boxthat a portion w of the lower end of the frame will project below thesuds box when the latter is horizontally adjusted, as shown in Fig. 1.When so arranged the frame B is adapted to afford a reliable support fora tub or pail, that will thus be sustained in a convenient position toreceive washed articles as removed from the suds box.

The tub rest B, may be closely folded against the end wall of the sudsbox A, and be thereto secured bya hook y, and when so arranged will beout of the Way and afford a handle for the portage of the machine,another handle being fastened to the opposite end of the suds box.

In'use, the introduction of water and a proper detergent material suchas soap, along IOO IIO

with the soiled goods that are to be washed, may be readily eected whilethe lid A', is folded away from over the box A, the replacing of the lidsealing the top of thesuds box and embedding the agitator head n among.the clothing or goods within the box. The rapid reversing rotationof thehead n, will communicate a like movement to the clothing or otherfibrous material it engages, and cause them to engage with the ribbedsides of the removable rubber frame, andl also with the ribbed bottom ofthe' suds box around which theframe is placed. The" reversal of movementgiven to the articles while being washed within the machine, causes thesudswater to forcibly penetrate the goods in different directions, andtogether with the rubbing ac-A tion of the device on the same, speedilyremoves dirt and stains from the fabric.

The `soiled suds water may be removed from the box A by removal of aspile z that closes an orifice in one side of the box near the bottom,and if.preferred clean water may beintroduced and the goods bethoroughly rinsed by a rotation of the machine as before explained.

Having thus fully described my invention,`

I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patentl. In a washingmachine, the combination with a suds box, and a shaft projecting intothe suds box and carrying an agitator, of two wheels on a horizontalshaft mounted on the suds box and having gearsegments on their innerfaces, abeveled pinion mounted to slide on the upper end of the shaftcarrying the agitator, but to turn therewith, a carrier bar forsupporting the said pinion, and means for vertically adjusting saidcarrier bar, substantially as described. Y

2. In a washing machine, the combination, with the 'suds box, and ashaft projecting into the suds box and carrying an agitator of twospaced segmental driving wheels oppositely fixed on a rotary horizontalshaft, a beveled pinion supported on said shaft between the gearsegments and alternately engaged therewith, studs on said pinion, andastud on each segmental Wheel near opposite terminals, which studsalternately impinge the studs on the beveled pinion, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a washing machine, the combination, with the suds box, two spacedsegmental friction gear Wheels mounted on a horizontal rotatable shaftsupported on the lid of the suds box, an intermediate upright shaftprojecting into the suds box, a slidable head at the lower end of saidshaft, and a bevel-faced friction pinion at the upper end of said shaft,of rock arms on the lid, and a carrier bar arranged to press the pinionupwardly when the arms are rocked to lift the bar, substantially asdescribed.

ANDREW ERBoR.

Witnesses: i

H. B. YINGLING, J. O. YINGLIIsrG.

